There is a big debate about SEO, or "Search Engine Optimization." Is it worth the time and financial investment? The recent Google Hummingbird update has confused the debate even further. Watch this week's video and then tell me what you think.
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It may not come as a surprise, but paying extra bucks to “go green” in a hybrid car may pay off in self-esteem and image for older drivers, as well as give a healthy boost to the environment, according to a Baylor University study.
This may help fuel cynics' view that people are far from green when they park a hybrid in front of their 3,000-5,000 square-foot home with an Olympic pool and Lexus SUV in the garage. But at least the trend has money moving through the economy...
PRESS RELEASE:
Newswise — Paying extra bucks to “go green” in a hybrid car may pay off in self-esteem and image for older drivers, as well as give a healthy boost to the environment, according to a Baylor University study.
The finding is significant because some segments of the older-consumer population control a considerable share of the discretionary income in the United States, and the population size of the “mature market” is growing rapidly, researchers said.
The study is published in the journal Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing and Service Industries.
“If I want to pay $5 for a ‘green’ detergent or sponge, I’ll know that I’m helping the environment. But those things aren’t highly visible. Other people aren’t going to notice,” said Jay Yoo, Ph.D., an assistant professor of family and consumer sciences in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences.
Researchers analyzed a national cross-sectional survey of 314 consumers age 60 and older who had bought hybrid cars. The study showed that their satisfaction was influenced by social values — including pride and prestige — as well as quality and price, not only in vehicle purchase but in future savings on gasoline expenses.
Those three variables — social value, price and quality — are significant in building senior citizens’ customer loyalty as shown by repurchase intention and positive word-of-mouth, Yoo said.
Emotional values — such as excitement – did not significantly influence their purchase intention or satisfaction, according to the study.
“The findings suggest that elderly consumers are concerned about how they appear to others when driving a hybrid car,” the researchers wrote. “They believe that driving a hybrid car builds a positive self-image of the people who drive them.”
“This knowledge can help as a marketing tool,” Yoo said. “Hybrid cars have increased in visibility because of their environmental consciousness. So people may be willing to pay an extra $5,000 or so in order to think, ‘I’m great, and this is good for the environment.’” Previous research has shown that older consumers are more inclined to behave in a pro-environment way than younger people are, he said.
Other researchers were Won-Moo Hur of the School of Business Administration in Pukyong National University in Busan, South Korea; and Jin Hur of the Yonsei School of Business, Yonsei University, in Seoul, South Korea.
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Tom LaPointe CarChat24 Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst
www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software 727-638-0195
Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.
http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com 856-546-2440
Make Money Mondays With Sean V. Bradley - Dealerships Need To Staff Properly
Great read and it gives you some nice insight on how really successful people think. Click Here
http://www.dealerwebinars.com/sean2.html
"The Evolution and Natural Selection of Automotive Sales" - FREE Webinar - Sign Up Now!
The cross promotion ad, It Comes Standard produced by Will Ferrell, touts all the great features of the glove box, and has been picked by AdWeek as one of their top ten for the week. I'm still partial to the ad that picks on the horse. Great marketing campaign!
More than anything, you want traffic in your showroom. Most shoppers will view five dealer websites before ever making the effort to visit just one of them. How do you make sure your inventory entices them to take the extra step and choose your lot above all others? Find out in this weeks Hard Facts.
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http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com 856-546-2440
Most Internet marketing experts will agree that driving traffic to your website results in the most valuable leads you can get – if you can convert visitors into leads. Just like the old adage, “volume is vanity, gross is sanity,” your website traffic is only worthwhile if you’re effectively converting it into sales opportunities.
According to an advertising efficacy study by Dataium, an average of 55 percent of dealerships’ online advertising budgets are devoted to paid search engine marketing, but just six percent of dealership website traffic is referred by paid search keywords, and less than one percent of this traffic resulted in email form leads submitted on dealership websites. While effective SEO/SEM campaigns are necessary up to a certain point, eventually the law of diminishing returns kicks in. How much more are you willing to spend for a search term that attracts 100 more unique visitors when only one or two of those visitors will convert into leads?
Compounding the challenge of effective SEM campaigns is the cost. Many website vendors and Internet marketing gurus push dealers to pay more for “their” search terms because other parties-- competitors, independent lead providers, auto shopping websites-- are all buying up the search terms and bidding up prices. To some extent, this is true: it's open competition, and automotive retail isn't the only industry subject to it. Companies in every industry must aggressively compete to attract online customers with increasingly sophisticated SEM campaigns.
Since search is now integrated into the consumer’s everyday experience, it’s also important to pay attention to changing consumer behavior and modify your campaigns accordingly. According to a study by Slingshot SEO, more than 80% of search terms today use five or six keywords. Users are becoming more sophisticated with their search terms and demanding results that deliver exactly what they're looking for. If you are a Toyota dealer in Chicago and you think you can attain a page one search engine ranking simply by paying a lot for the terms "Toyota" and "Chicago," or your website content is the same as it’s been since you optimized it for search 5 years ago, you will be disappointed.
As the competition, sophistication, and challenges increase, your ability to convert precious, valuable search-generated traffic must improve. The average conversion rate for dealership websites is estimated to be between two and four percent. Some dealers claim conversion rates more than double this percentage. What if you could double the number of leads you receive from your dealership website, without spending a penny more on SEO/SEM campaigns? Increasing conversion is the key to achieving this goal.
To convert more visitors, try this three-pronged approach:
1) Content. Keep the content on your website engaging, up-to-date, educational, and include "calls to action" on every page. Also be sure that your content supports your brand consistently. If you're a family-owned business heavily involved in your community, ensure that your website content reflects and promotes this.
2) Conversion Tools. An increasing number of tools are available that are designed to engage visitors and keep them on your website. Chat applications are one of the most successful conversion tools; so are payment marketing tools like trade-in calculators and shop-by-payment tools like Payment Pro. Incentives and coupons have all been shown to increase conversion rates.
3) Marketing. Conversion tools will convert, but only to the extent that your website visitors know about them and use them. Don't expect them to just stumble across the latest tool or gadget on your site and start using it, unless they know what to expect. For instance, if you have a payment marketing tool, create a marketing campaign to educate your customers about their credit score and to let them know they can get accurate payment quotes without affecting their credit score. A full-blown marketing campaign might include the following elements: e-mail, a dedicated area on your website landing page featuring the benefits of shopping by payment, a blog, a video of one of your salespeople explaining the benefits, geo-targeted banner ads, and more.
If you have found that funneling more of your budget into SEO/SEM campaigns isn't getting you a proportional increase in website visitors, try focusing on increasing your conversion rate. Customers will stay on your site if they find what they are looking for, so figure out what that is and provide it to them to increase your website lead count and quality.
http://www.dealersynergy.com 856-546-2440
Internet Deptartment and Management: Getting on the Same Page - Automotive Sales - Car Sales
On this week's Think Tank Tuesday learn how to keep your cool and avoid panic marketing. Without a plan and without a process you could find yourself left in a panic. These three tips will ensure that you have a plan in place to start strong so you always end strong and profitable.
http://www.dealersynergy.com 856-546-2440
Mid Week Motivation With Joe Cala - "Introductory Episode" Automotive Sales - Car Sales
http://www.internetsales20group.com
One of the things I tend to see most when training with Internet Coordinators or BDC Reps all across the country, is that not many of them take the time to identify who they are and what they do at the dealership. Before I continue, lets go over a few statistics that might help to shed a little light on the importance of implementing this strategy.
- 92-99% of People Go Online before stepping foot into your dealership.
- People are shopping on Average 5-8 other dealerships besides yours.
- This means there are 5-8 other dealerships trying to contact that very same person you are.
- Sales People, especially in the Automotive world tend to have a "Negative Stereotype".
Why Identify yourself on a call you ask? If I was to call you and say, Hello! May I speak to "Mr. Johnson" ? This is Anthony calling on behalf of Autobytel and ABC Motors....Did I catch you at a good time? What would you assume my job to be within the dealership if I didn't verbalize it to you during the phone call? Most likely a Sales Person, Wouldn't you agree? When a prospect believes that he/she is on the phone with a typical "Sales Person", their Defensive Mechanisms are triggered that much easier, which will result in a very low success rate as it relates to setting appointments. This is where letting the prospect know what you do is vital to increasing the odds in setting an appointment and at the same time, builds value into why it is so great they are talking to you...the "Internet Coordinator". I would say something like the following to get the prospect to Like, Trust and Believe in me.....
Mr./Mr.s Customer, I'm actually not a Sales Person. I'm what you call an Internet Coordinator, you can think of me as like your personal "Car Concierge" or sort of like your "Liaison" to the Sale. You must have went online to get your research done and thats actually what I specialize in and do for customers just like yourself on a daily basis. I will provide you with all the relevant information about the vehicle or vehicles of your interest, send you some emails with videos of the entire vehicle inside & Out and any other information you may need to help you make the best informed decision. This way,when you feel comfortable, I would like to Set you an Exclusive V.I.P. appointment with my Internet Manager as opposed to a Sales Person. This will save you a tremendous amount of time inside the dealership, your vehicle of interest will be ready and waiting for you to test drive and their will be someone waiting for you to show up, saving you at least 45 minutes in the dealership.
Always Remember...there are at least 5-8 other dealerships that this prospect has looked at besides yours, that means there are 5-8 other people calling that same prospect. It makes perfect sense to tell this person exactly who you are, what you do and most importantly, what makes you so much better than the 5-8 other people calling! "Price is only relevant with the absence of value"......Start by building VALUE in yourself....the INTERNET COORDINATOR!
If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at anthony@dealersynergy.com or conatct me directly via my cell phone at 732-456-0753.
"If you want the things most people do not have, you must be willing to do the things most people are not willing to do to get them"
http://www.dealerwebinars.com/sean2.html
Sign Up For The Webinar "The Evolution and Natural Selection of Automotive Sales" Advice From A 30-Car Guy Part 2
Wednesday October 16, 2013, 10:00am Mountain Time
Sean will provide a detailed plan of action to calculate how many calls and appointments are needed to set yourself up to sell 30 cars a month.
The automotive industry, just as any other industry in the world, evolves over time as technology advances and customer engagement changes. The way people buy cars is different now than 20 years ago, and the way dealerships sell cars is different than 20 years. What we’ve learned is that those who are surviving in the automotive industry today have survived Natural Selection because they have evolved with the times. Those who are currently struggling refuse to evolve.
The tactics and strategies have evolved so much over the years. Those dealerships that have adjusted their processes and evaluated their vendors have not only survived the slump but have been excelling and succeeding beyond their expectations.
In this Webinar, I will be discussing the changes in the Automotive Industry and what you need to do to stay ahead of the curve. The modern sales person can’t just follow the “Road to the Sale”. They must position themselves uniquely as Entrepreneurs, mastering more than just sales techniques. I will go into depth on what that means, as well as tips and advice to better position yourself to consistently sell 30 cars every month.
Benfits from the Webinar: During this Webinar, I will provide a detailed plan of action to properly calculate how many calls and appointments are needed each month to set yourself up to sell 30 cars a month. I will discuss specific digital marketing, advertising and sales techniques that will turn a car sales person into an Entrepreneur. Using facts, examples and real life examples of success, you will learn how to properly set goals and elevate your sales success.Presented by:
Sean V. BradleyFounder & CEO,Dealer SynergySean V. Bradley is the top automotive trainer and consultant in the country and is currently one of the most sought after subject matter experts for Internet Sales, Business Development and Digital Marketing. Beginning as a sales consultant, Sean learned the business from the ground up holding positions at dealerships as Sales Manager, Internet Sales Manager, Special Finance Manager and Business Development Director. Furthermore, Sean is the only certified Franklin Covey Trainer and Facilitator in the Automotive Industry and a proud member of the National Speakers Association. Sean is also the creator the Internet Sales 20 Group, an intensive 3-day workshop that is designed for executive management of dealerships. Sign up at www.internetsales20group.com.
Incoming phone calls are as easy as 1,2,3..
Ahh, the incoming sales call. The absolutely, positively, unequivocally, indisputable biggest missed opportunity in our sales/internet departments. Oh, by the way, in most cases, the most under-trained. If you want to really screw your day up, try this. When you get to work, pour a cup of coffee, and listen to sales calls. Make sure there are no sharp objects around. Someone might die.
Now for the good news...
You are not alone. No matter what anyone tells you, the handling of phone ups ain't a perfect science. Conversations don't always go the way we want them to. As long as you are only training your people with scripts, you'll never be happy. Please hear me...I am not saying that scripts are bad. I am saying if that is ALL you are doing, you are missing the boat. Unless, of course, your city has a large robot population. (Unfortunately, robots usually have bad credit.)
I am a conceptual thinker. When you give me a task, I seem to always ask "Why?". I need to know why I am doing what you want me to do. I do not think I am alone. Simply giving our people a script and demanding that they memorize it, word for word, isn't enough. They need to know why.
Note: When a client calls us they usually have a specific vehicle in mind that they saw online. Keep in mind, when someone calls us, they are serious prospects. They found something online that they liked well enough to call a car dealership! Believe me, the motivation has already started. It's our job to ride that wave, not damn it up. We do this in a couple of ways. First, remember your call is 90% enthusiasm and 10% words. Mentally cancel everything else you have going on. (i.e., ESPN.com, breakfast burrito, or fantasy football) Your phone attitude has to scream, "I am TOTALLY interested in what you are saying and I can't wait to help you!" Secondly, open the funnel. What I mean is, even though the customer called in asking about a specific vehicle, it's our job to widen their area of consideration. An overwhelming majority of callers end up buying something different than what they initially inquired about.
Our job during this ever-important incoming call is to do ONE THING. Motivate. We have to motivate the caller to not only agree to an appointment, but to SHOW UP for an appointment. I believe in using three concepts during the conversation to motivate the customer. I will attempt once after each element to get an appointment.
Instead of word tracks, let's call these "Motivational Concept Tracks"
1. We got what you want! (Then ask for the appointment.)
You must first convey to the customer that you have exactly what they are looking for and lots of them! Convince them that they need to get off the phone and come in as soon as possible! Include phrases like "Wow, we've had a ton of calls on that one!" or "Let me see if that vehicle is still available." ...or get them excited about the expanded availability of vehicle they are looking for by saying "We have so many vehicles like that, I'll have to see which ones are still available!" Either way, you have to convey "WE HAVE WHAT YOU WANT! GET IN HERE, NOW!" Follow this with, "When are you more available, this afternoon or this evening?" If you are unable to get an appointment, go to concept #2.
2. You got what we want! (Then ask for the appointment, again)
The customer just stated, "No thank you, I'll just try to stop by in the next week or so." as they avoid the commitment of an appointment. Time to switch gears in a conversational sort of way. "By the way, what kind of vehicle are you driving now?" "I am driving a 'XX XXXXX XXXXX." (Now for the YOU'VE GOT WHAT WE WANT!)
It's time to start the love affair with THIER car!
"You're kidding! My manager has been looking for those! Tell me more!" Convey to them that we are absolutely drooling over their type of car. "Would you consider selling us your car, even if you didn't buy anything from us?" (I can tell you this, I start drooling when I have the opportunity to acquire local inventory, don't you?) "How fast can you bring your vehicle down here?" "May I come to your house and get it?" Here lies your SECOND chance at an appointment.
3. You're special, we're special! (Then ask for the appointment, once more.)
Two strikes. Now it's time to step back and sell yourself, the dealership, and what makes the customer special enough to receive unique benefits by buying from you and your business! This can be done most effectively if you have written value packages (First Time Buyers, College Grad, Teachers Program, etc...) and a strong '"Why-Buy-Here" message (Free Oil Changes, Warranty, Money Back Guarantee, Low Price Promise, etc...) Everyone likes coupon codes, 2 for 1 lunch specials, Frequent Flyer Miles, Punch Cards, Senior Citizen Discounts, etc... This is another shot at motivating them to come in for their special offer. On this final attempt for a personal meeting, try to set it up at their house or place of business. Sometimes this will cause the potential customer to agree to come in.
If you have a problem memorizing a script or it's just sounding robotic, try simply understanding these three motivations. They are easy to remember. As easy as 1, 2, 3!
1. We got what you want.
2. You got what we want.
3. You're special, we're special.
Who's Your Danny?
http://www.automotivedigitaltraining.com 856-546-2440
Make Money Mondays With Sean V. Bradley - Special Edition - Cory Mosley - "Little Things"
http://www.dealersynergy.com 856-546-2440
Joe Cala (When He Worked For Autotrader.com) Talks About "Vendors" For Dealerships...
